ANNOUNCEMENT: As of July 2, 2019, no new orders will be accepted until further notice.

PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PLACE A NEW ORDER AT THIS TIME.

We've had to temporarily shut down operations for several months while we retool our production. Never fear, we will be resuming production of our Hardtops and Wall Graphics. We just can't take new orders or make any products until our new systems and printers are up and running.

All orders that have already been submitted will be completed and shipped on time. However, no new orders will be taken at this time. We have temporarily closed our online store.

When we are ready to take orders again, we will update this site, our Facebook page, and on Pinside.

​We look forward to getting back to business as soon as we can. Have a great summer!

Hardtop (FAQ) - Frequently Asked Questions

Titles

What titles do you have?​We currently have Space Shuttle, Pharaoh, Taxi, Wizard, Future Spa, Comet, Frontier, Black Knight, Evel Knievel, and Firepower. Mata Hari and High Speed are next up.

Will you be making a (insert your favorite title here) Hardtop?We will be putting out new titles, but not on a set schedule (sorry, but this isn't our full-time job). Good future candidates would have higher production numbers and limited playfield repair options available. Some titles we will never be able to make due to the difficulty and cost of getting reproduction rights. This would include any title based on a band, movie, TV show, or other protected brand. For the latest on new Hardtop titles, click here for the official Hardtops thread on Pinside.

Will you make a custom one for me?No, we do not make custom one-off Hardtops. We could go into a long explanation about how many months it takes to prepare, test, and fine-tune the art and hole positions for a single title, or our high overhead costs (we are commercial printers, and this not our day job), or how we use a $1.5 million printing press to get the top quality we need, or how the cost to make a single one-off Hardtop could easily be 20x the regular cost because it will take the same amount of development time, but the short answer is simply no, sorry, we don't and won't make any custom Hardtops.​Do you offer volume discounts?No. Our licensing contracts that enable legal reproduction of the art are set in writing. If we reduce what we charge, the royalty we have to pay remains the same. Combined with what is a low production volume (for us) and low economies of scale for this product, we can't offer tradeshow or volume discounts.​

Installation

Will you install it for me?No, sorry, we don't offer install services.

How long does it take to install?We've heard about experienced people taking 4 hours to strip and prep their playfield, 10 minutes to install the Hardtop, and another 6 hours to reassemble everything. Your mileage may vary.

Do I have to remove everything from the playfield?No, a Hardtop installation only requires taking the parts off the top of the playfield. This can take less than half the time of a full playfield swap.

Do I need to sand the whole playfield?No, you just need to sand the inserts to remove any art on the inserts, or high spots. You can sand the whole surface if you like, but it's not necessary.

How do I prep the inserts?The inserts must be sanded so they have no raised spots, and no art. Cupping or low spots are ok and will be bridged by the thick material. The art on the inserts will be replaced by new art on the Hardtops.

Once the inserts are flat and clean, continue to polish them up to about 400 grit. Then wipe them with a tack cloth and give them a couple light coats of clear spray to make them glossy again. Make sure you let the spray dry for 3 days so no more solvent evaporates after the Hardtop is installed. The alternative is to polish up to a 2000 grit until the inserts have a jewel finish.

Either way, make sure they look great BEFORE you attach the Hardtop. Keith from A Pirate's Life Pinball recommends holding a flashlight under each insert to check the appearance. The Hardtop area over the inserts will be crystal clear, so what you see before you install the Hardtop is what you will see after.

Isn't this just a decal with a different name?Not even close. Our material is 1/32 inch thick (a little less than a millimeter). It is semi-rigid, doesn't stretch, and has a custom coating that has been certified via Taber testing to be more abrasion resistant than a playfield clearcoat. It provides a perfectly flat playing surface with no exposed edges that can affect the ball path.

Is the adhesive strong?Yes, very. After several rounds of development with 3M, we landed on an adhesive so strong that if you try to pull off the Hardtop, it brings wood with it. Nothing is forever, but we've done our best to make this as close to a permanent solution as we could get.​

Care

How long do they last?We don't know. A really, really long time? What we do know is that we have our first Hardtop-equipped Space Shuttle with about 2,000 plays that still shows no playfield wear at all. We also know of a couple machines that were routed for 6 months with no visible wear. A wipe with a microfiber and they looked great. The custom coating has been tested to be more abrasion resistant than a traditional playfield clearcoat. Lastly, the adhesive is so powerful that if you try to take off the Hardtop, you will bring wood with it. Nothing is forever, but we've done our best to make this as close to a permanent solution as we could get. ​

Can I wax them?Sure, if you want. We don't bother. Adam at Pinball Workshop does (watch his "12 of 12 - finished Space Shuttle" video below for his recommendation).

Can I take it off later if I don't like it?This product WILL damage the existing playfield art, so installing a Hardtop should not be considered a temporary solution. We do not recommend installing a Hardtop on a playfield that is in good condition. It is a product designed to save playfields that have few or no other options. Many of the machines with Hardtops were about to be used for parts, and they were able to be saved. In fact, they now look (and play) fantastic!

The Space Shuttle playfield in the picture below is a PERFECT candidate for a Hardtop.

Buying and Shipping

Do you offer volume discounts?No. Our licensing contracts that enable legal reproduction of the art are set in writing. If we reduce what we charge, the royalty we have to pay remains the same. Combined with what is a low production volume (for us) and low economies of scale for this product, we can't offer tradeshow or volume discounts.

How do they ship?They ship flat in a playfield-sized carton, inside a plastic sleeve, with an instruction sheet included.

Can you ship internationally?Yes, but unfortunately our online store doesn't work internationally. If you would like a Hardtop shipped internationally, please follow these steps.

Thank you for purchasing our Hardtop product! We hope you enjoy the renewed look and play quality the Hardtop will provide. This product is a unique new approach to reviving a badly worn playfield that is not a likely candidate for restoration by repairing the art and clear coating.

There are a number of items we want to communicate BEFORE installation begins.

This product is not a new playfield. It is a product that is produced to cover an existing playfield to both improves it’s look and also improve play.

This product WILL damage or destroy additional art if it is removed for any reason.

If the liner is removed from the adhesive on this product, it is not returnable. Unless otherwise discussed with Outside Edge, the customer is responsible for all shipping charges if customer decides to return the unused Hardtop.

Great care in sanding and cleaning the original playfield is required to properly install a Hardtop. If you are concerned with your skill level, or do not feel confident we suggest you find a qualified person to prepare the surface and install for you.

BEFORE any sanding begins, the Hardtop should be positioned onto the (clean) playfield WITHOUT removing the adhesive liner to make sure the fit looks correct.

Some fitting, trimming may be required. AS you may imagine… these games have all seen their own “unique” past. Materials shrink, move and so on over the years and an absolute PERFECT fit may not be possible. However, if you see significant variations or issues.. please contact us BEFORE you remove the adhesive back liner. It is a known fact that these machines had differences within the same title, at times. There is no way to know every scenario, or manufacturing change that occurred, so again … contact us with “Major “ fitment issues.

Do not attempt to adhere a Hardtop to a playfield that has raised inserts, or anything else that inappropriately protrudes upward, or above the intended playing surface. While the Hardtop does an excellent job of masking cupped inserts and other small concave depressions… Anything protruding upwards is unacceptable. Anything protruding upwards needs remedied.

The Hardtop is only intended to be properly installed on an entirely stripped of parts playfield topside.

Inserts: Any art that was originally printed onto the inserts needs removed, as the Hardtop will have fresh art that will renew this area. To do this… DO NOT use harsh chemicals. These will need to be gently sanded and blended by sanding (suggesting a beginning use of 220 grit) a larger area around the inserts. Do no sand too aggressively in one area. The idea is to do as little as needed to remove the art and yellowed original coating. Leveling inserts, and “eye dropper” filling cupped inserts is acceptable … but we suggest you research the correct methods, products and procedure before attempting. To shine the inserts again after sanding, one of two methods can be used. #1: sand while using finer and finer grit until finally arriving at a wet sand of around 2000 grit. #2: sand down to a grit of 1000, then follow with a few light coats of gloss clear. You MUST let gloss dry and outgas for a minimum of 72hrs prior to installing the Hardtop. Be patient with this process, making sure the playfield is not left with high and low spots from aggressively sanding.

Do not attempt to install a Hardtop over any playfield that has mylar protectors. These need removed.

Never use abrasive products to polish a Hardtop! That includes Novus products. You can wax the playfield with a carnauba wax. A Hardtop is truly a unique product with a very hard coating on the playing surface. Abrasive products will damage this coating. The hard coating on a Hardtop is much harder than the traditional coatings currently used on modern pinball machines and will provide a long service life.

Caring for your new Hardtop is fairly straight forward. Keep it wiped down, and free of debris and waxed. Do not use old scratched or pitted pinballs.

Your playfield should be smooth, clean and dust free prior to installing the Hardtop. We suggest a final use of a tack cloth just prior to final installation.